Count Yorga, Vampire
Count Yorga, Vampire (also known as 'The Loves Of Count Iorga, Vampire') is a 1970 American vampire horror film written and directed by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry and Michael Murphy. It was followed by a sequel, The Return of Count Yorga. Plot The scenario opens with narration about superstition and the abilities of vampires. A truck is loaded at the Port of Los Angeles, and as it climbs to a gated mansion in the Southern California hills, the cargo is revealed to be a coffin. Donna (played by Donna Anders) hosts a séance in hopes of contacting her recently deceased mother. At the party are several of her friends and Count Yorga (Robert Quarry), a mysterious Bulgarian mystic who performs the séance. Donna becomes hysterical during the proceedings, and Yorga uses hypnosis to calm her. After the party is over, Erica (played by Judy Lang) and her boyfriend Paul (Michael Murphy) offer to drive the Count home. As the three leave, the others get into a conversation about Yorga. Donna reveals that she knows Yorga from being her mother's boyfriend. Adding that the two were dating a few weeks shortly before her death and in fact, Yorga had insisted that her mother be buried despite her mother requesting to be cremated in the event of death. Yet oddly, she can't recall seeing him at her mother's funeral much to the confusion of everyone. Meanwhile, Erica and Paul eventually reach Yorga's mansion outside the city and drop him off. However when they try to leave, they suddenly experiences car trouble and find the road too muddy to travel (although Paul notices the road was dry a minute ago). Unable to move, the two resign themselves to spend the night in their van and seek help in the morning. The two strip naked and have sex before going to sleep. However they are unaware of Yorga watching nearby and he soon approaches the vehicle. Erica senses something wrong and awakens, opening the window to look outside only to see Yorga's pasty face. Her screams wake Paul who tries to go outside to defend the two. However, Yorga instantly pulls him outside and knocks him out, then goes inside the van and descends on the helpless Ercia. The following day, Paul tells Michael, Donna's boyfriend, about the attack. Paul didn't see their attacker, and Erica doesn't remember the attack at all. Erica visits Dr. Hayes to have the mysterious bite wounds on her neck inspected. In contrast to her exuberant personality on the night before, Erica now seems despondent and listless. Hayes notices she has lost a lot of blood. Unable to diagnose the cause, he recommends rest and a high protein diet. Not shortly after Paul and Michael discuss the strange changes in Erica's behavior. They try to check in on her via phone but she just drops the phone to the floor without answering it and doesn't respond when Paul tries to call out to her. The concerned men then drive to her home where they find the place in disarray and, to their horror, Erica eating her pet kitten before screaming when she notices their presence. She reacts erratically to their presence, first threatening them with violence and then attempting to seduce Paul before coming to her senses and breaking down. They restrain her and call Dr. Hayes (Roger Perry), who begins an emergency blood transfusion. Erica babbles incoherently. apparently afraid of something, begging Paul to forgive her and even kill her. But when asked of what has her scared, she state she doesn't know. Meanwhile, Yorga awakens in his manor and heads to his basement which has been converted into a throne room where his two vampiric-brides lie on slabs. One of whom is shown to be Donna's mother (Marsha Jordan) whom he had drained, dug up her body after she was buried and made int his most recent bride. He awakens the two and, presumably using his powers of mind-control, forces the two to have sex. Although Michael is skeptical, the three men consider the possibility of vampirism as an excuse for Erica's behavior as they can't find a logical explanation otherwise. Micheal and Hayes head home for the night, while Paul sleeps downstairs. Yorga soon make his move, using his powers to have Erica awake from her slumber and open the window to her room before seeingly teleporting to her house. Promising her immortality and "magnifence beyond exsistence", he seduces anad drains Erica of her blood. Paul awakens to go check on her only to find Erica missing. He phone Michael about Erica's disappearance before rashly going to Yorga's mansion to rescue her. However as it's still nightfall, Yorga is prepared for him. No sooner the Paul enter the house, Yorga's servant Buddah (played by Edward Walsh) steals his car and drive it somewhere. As Paul goes further into the mansion, he soon attacked by Yorga who easily kills him by choking him to death then having Brudah break his back. Yorga then informs Brudah to expect more guests. Michael alerts Hayes that Paul has gone to the mansion, and Hayes confides that Paul's lack of preparation will probably lead to his death. While mulling over his options, Hayes girlfriend suggest involving the police, citing a eerily similar case of a baby being found in the woods, drained of its blood with bite wounds on the neck. He takes it to heart and calls the police, but is rejected as a deluded prankster following a recent rash of such calls. Hayes, Michael and Donna go to the mansion themselves to inquire about Paul's whereabouts and keep Yorga active until sunrise. While Hayes distracts Yorga with enthusiastic questions about Yorga's occult experiments, Brudah rebuffs Michael's attempts to explore the mansion. Michael and Hayes switch places to keep Yorga off his guard, but Yorga becomes increasingly insistent that it is late and his guests must leave. Yorga distracts Hayes, and Yorga strengthens his hypnotic control over Donna. After leaving the manor, Hayes convinces Michael that killing Yorga will not be easy: vampires have greater strength and the wisdom that comes from living much longer than a "mere mortal". He also grimly adds they might have to kill Paul and Erica too if they have become vampires since the people they were are dead and now nothing but monsters loyal only to Yorga. They plan to attack later that afternoon. Michael and Donna rest while Hayes studies vampire lore until he too falls asleep. Yorga awakens Donna telepathically and summons her to the mansion. On her arrival, Brudah rapes her. Michael oversleeps because Donna sabotage the alarm clock, and it's nearly evening when he calls to awaken Hayes. They stock up on stakes and makeshift crosses before heading to Yorga's mansion as night falls. They split up, and Hayes is confronted by Yorga. Both drop the pretense that Yorga is anything but a vampire, and Yorga leads Hayes into his basement where his vampire-brides lie dormant. Hayes finds Erica's body among them, finding to his horror, that she now has no pulse or heartbeat. He attacks Yorga with cross and stake, while yelling out for Michael (who hears Hayes and begins to run in the direction of his call). Yorga is irritated by Hayes' cross and taunts the doctor as he silently commands his brides to awaken. With Hayes' back to the approaching brides and his attention fixed on Yorga, the brides attack and drain the helpless Hayes. Yorga reunites Donna with her mother. Michael finds Paul's mutilated body while navigating the crypt. Brudah attacks him, but Michael stabs him—presumably to death. Michael manages to reach the throne room but find Hayes as he lays dying from bites wounds and blood loss. With his last breath, Hayes tells Michael where Donna is. Just as he does, Erica, now a vampire and completely under Yorga's control, and an unnamed, red-headed vampire charge into the room. Michael fends them off, chasing away the red-head while Erica pauses, giving Michael a chance to stake her. Despite seeing she is no longer the Erica he knows, he can't bring himself to do so, and proceeds upstairs while she hisses at him. On the way to the staircase, Brudah emerges from the living room, holding his profusely bleeding knife wound, intent on attacking Michael. Michael—somewhat stunned that Brudah is still alive—moves up the staircase as Brudah reaches out for him. Brudah then collapses, finally dying. Upstairs, Michael confronts Yorga and Donna's mother. Yorga pushes Donna's mother into Michael's stake and flees. Michael follows and Yorga ambushes him outside the room. Michael rams the charging Yorga with his stake, killing him. Donna mourns her mother a second time before Michael collects her. He and Donna watch Yorga turn to dust. As they start to leave, they are confronted by Erica and the red-headed bride who, despite Yorga's death, still remain as vampires. They chase Michael and Donna downstairs until repelled by Michael's cross. As the vampire women are forced back and toward a cellar, Erica glances ominously at Donna. Michael locks them in and takes Donna's hand, believing the danger is over. However, as he turns to leave, Donna hisses and lunges at him, fangs bared, fully transformed into a vampire. He was too late to prevent Yorga from turning her. In a final line of voice-over, the narrator sarcastically disputes that vampirism is just superstition as he laughs evilly. The film ends on a shot of Michael's bloodied and lifeless corpse.